


a marvellous time ruining everything

by inlovewithimpossibility



Series: olicity x folklore [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Class Differences, Disapproving Family, F/M, Fluff, Inspired by Taylor Swift, Interns & Internships, Miss Swift Owns Me, Song: the last great american dynasty (Taylor Swift)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:28:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26158813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithimpossibility/pseuds/inlovewithimpossibility
Summary: “Well, Felicity Smoak, I hope you enjoy your time here at QC,” He nods at her, bending in a mock bow and Felicity chuckles a little at that. It’s a stunning sound, one that hits Oliver straight in the heart. There’s something about this woman, something inexplicable but totally glorious.“Thank you,” Felicity nods, staring at him for a long moment as if she can’t quite figure things out before she shakes her head and makes her way into the room. She spares him one last look over her shoulder before she joins her fellow interns.She leaves Oliver stood there, completely baffled over what just happened as his heart beats fast with what he thinks might just be affection.[oliver falls in love with the new QC intern but his family are less than impressed with his choice]
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Series: olicity x folklore [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875232
Comments: 51
Kudos: 268





	a marvellous time ruining everything

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, welcome back to my folklore series! Thank you all for such a wonderful reception to the works in this series so far, I'm really excited to share this one! I hope you're all keeping safe and well, and that your loved ones are doing the same. Things are still so crazy out there at the moment. 
> 
> If you enjoy and you're so inclined, please let me know by leaving a kudos and/or comment, they make my day!

* * *

The QC intern scheme is one of the most competitive in the country. It’s rumored in that tech world that anyone who goes through it is guaranteed success within the field. The majority of the most prosperous start-ups from the past ten years are headed up by CEOs who went through the QC intern scheme and therefore, it’s also one of the hardest internships to land a place on.

For those who are lucky enough to enter the program, there are other rumors that circulate within the interns. Avoid running into Malcolm Merlyn at all costs, don’t mess with Lucinda in HR, and most importantly, if you are young and pretty, the boss’ son will try to sleep with you.

For Oliver Queen, billionaire, city-renowned party boy, and heir to the QC industry, he looks forward to the influx of a new bout of interns every year. He knows that one day he will need to settle down and take on more responsibility but for now, he’s 22, handsome, and the world is his oyster. For him, that means betting with Tommy on how many of the new interns he can sleep with this years. His record is eight, but in his defense, there was a significantly high proportion of women in the cohort that year and he was eighteen, young, and fresh out of a break-up with his then, on-again, off-again girlfriend, Laurel.

He gains some knowing looks as he struts into the offices early on a Monday morning. Seeing him at QC this early in the morning would usually be a rare sight but his intern exploits are well known within the company and almost everyone knows he’s had this date in his phone since applications opened months ago.

“Oliver, I thought I’d see you here,” His father smirks as he enters the meeting room on the fourth floor. It’s starting to fill with young people dressed in office attire and Oliver smirks as he spots a few girls that are particularly good looking before he turns to his father.

“See? I’m reliable for something, Dad,” He teases, reminding his father of the argument they had just three days ago about Oliver stepping up and taking more responsibility now that he’s getting older.

“Your want to get into the pants of my interns is not reliability, Oliver,” Robert counters with a roll of his eyes and Oliver just shrugs, keeping that smirk on his face.

“It is, kind of, in a way,” He grins, waving at one of the girls who is staring at him across the room. The pretty brunette gasps and blushes, turning to rush to a seat and Oliver chuckles. Lord, he loves this time of year.

“Stay in the back and don’t get in the way,” His father states in a stern tone, and Oliver nods, already knowing the rules by now.

“Aye aye, Captain,” Oliver mock salutes and makes his way back to the doorway where he leans against the frame. He knows he’s blocking the way slightly but the room is pretty full already and he knows from experience that there can’t be that many more expected to arrive.

“Sorry, can I get past, please?” A voice suddenly calls out and Oliver jumps, turning to see that the gentle lilt belongs to a small, but beautiful blonde girl. She’s clearly young, her cheeks still a little rounded and a youthful glint to her eye, two-toned glasses hiding bright blue eyes. Her blonde curls are pulled back into a sensible ponytail in the middle of her head and she’s dressed in a blue shirt under a navy pinafore dress. Her look is topped off by black Mary Jane heels and the tablet she’s clasping in her hands, a hopeful and warm smile on her face as she looks up at Oliver.

“Hmm, that depends… what do I get out of it?” Oliver smirks, looking her up and down as he turns to look at her properly. Her face immediately morphs but not into the light blush Oliver was expecting. Instead, she’s clearly annoyed, and she stares at him distastefully.

“Not being a dick? We need to go sit down anyway. Do you really want to mess up on our first day?” She questions, raising an unimpressed eyebrow and Oliver smirks, realizing she doesn’t know who he is.

“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. It’s not my first day. Oliver Queen, son and heir to the CEO,” He smirks his best charming smile, extending his hand towards her. Shock registers across her face and Oliver expects her to smile, then fall to his charms. Instead, that distasteful look returns for a moment before she schools her expression.

“Oh! Well then, Mr. Queen, if I could get past, I’d love to get settled,” She smiles politely, an edge to her voice. She bends at the waist to look around him and Oliver frowns, totally baffled that she’s not just falling at his feet.

“You can for a price,” Oliver tells her, maintaining his charming smirk but the blonde merely rolls her eyes, shaking her head.

“I’m not going on a date with you,” She tells him clearly and Oliver’s eyebrows shot upwards, not having expected her to guess his ploy immediately. She finally smirks at that, a playful glint in her eye that tugs at something within Oliver. “Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Queen,” She smirks with a tilt of her head and Oliver’s eyes widen, totally blown away by his immediate reaction to this woman. He’s never felt like this before, had such an immediate _warmth_ run through him at the mere sight of a woman.

It’s baffling.

“So I see, but I don’t want a date,” Oliver smiles, immediately changing his tactic but the blonde raises a dubious eyebrow with her head still tilted in that endearing manner.

“No?” She questions with a disbelieving smirk and Oliver smiles too, shaking his head.

“Nope, just your name,” He states simply, popping the ‘p’ and the blonde’s expression morphs into a look of surprise.

“Oh. Well, it’s Felicity… Felicity Smoak,” She tells him and Oliver smiles, nodding his head. It’s a beautiful name, fitting for the woman before him, and Oliver pushes aside that feeling of unexplainable warmth as he moves to the side to let her through.

“Well, Felicity Smoak, I hope you enjoy your time here at QC,” He nods at her, bending in a mock bow and Felicity chuckles a little at that. It’s a stunning sound, one that hits Oliver straight in the heart. There’s something about this woman, something inexplicable but totally glorious.

“Thank you,” Felicity nods, staring at him for a long moment as if she can’t quite figure things out before she shakes her head and makes her way into the room. She spares him one last look over her shoulder before she joins her fellow interns.

She leaves Oliver stood there, completely baffled over what just happened as his heart beats fast with what he thinks might just be affection.

* * *

He’s still thinking over the interaction when he makes his way into the building the next week.

His interaction with Felicity baffled him so much on orientation day that he didn’t even flirt with any of the other interns. Hell, he’d barely even _looked_ at them. He spent the entire three hours staring at the back of her pretty blonde head in total confusion.

Which is what brings him back to the offices the next week. He doesn’t know what it is, but Oliver _needs_ to see her again, he needs to settle things with her. It’s nothing like he’s ever experienced before but it’s intense and all-consuming.

He finds her in one of the labs, alone and bent over a disassembled tablet, electrical screwdriver in hand and eyes squinting between her two-toned glasses as she concentrates. She clearly registers someone entering the room as her posture changes but she doesn’t look up until she’s halfway through her sentence.

“Jackson? Could you give me a hand with… oh! You’re not Jackson,” Felicity’s eyes widen when she spots him, shooting to stand up properly and overshooting a little. She stumbles a bit in her heels but rights herself, blinking a little embarrassedly but Oliver just smiles. She looks just as beautiful today as she did last week, her hair pulled back into that same ponytail but straightened this time. Her dress today is black and checked with white lines, her heels are the same bright pink shade as her lips are painted and the whole look is topped off with gold jewelry. It’s simple but beautiful and it has Oliver smiling immediately.

“I am not. Can we talk?” He offers gently, gesturing to the spot next to her. He doesn’t want to assume and he can tell from their interaction the other day that Felicity would not take kindly to her personal space being invaded.

“What do we have to talk about?” Felicity questions, a dubious expression on her face even as she gently beckons him closer to approve his request.

“I just feel like we got off on the wrong foot,” Oliver tells her simply but Felicity continues to frown at him, confusion painted all over her face.

“And you want to be on the right one?” She asks in confirmation, making Oliver blush. He knows this is weird, he knows that just randomly dropping in on her with no ulterior motive screams guilty, but he can’t explain it either. He just needs Felicity to like him, in whichever way he can. There’s just something about her and the way she saw him exactly for who he is right off the bat.

“You seem like a cool girl,” He tries to answer casually, knowing that unloading all of that off on her on their second meeting would be far too intense to be considered normal.

“That’s your play, really?” Felicity laughs, shaking her head disbelieving but Oliver merely shakes his head too, praying that his eyes convey just how serious he is about all of this.

“No play, I swear. I just… I don’t have many friends, it’d be nice to make some more,” Oliver shrugs but he freezes as he realizes just how true that statement is. He has Tommy, sure, but Tommy’s symbolic of the party side of his life and as much as he loves his best friend, QC is his future.

“You know, weirdly, I believe you,” Felicity frowns after a moment of contemplation. She tilts her head in the same way she had that first meeting, as if she’s seeing right through his soul. She surprises Oliver, he’d hoped she’d listen to him but seeing her do so so quickly is like nothing Oliver could’ve imagined.

“You do?” He finds himself questioning, a vulnerable hope crossing his face. He doesn’t think he’s ever acted like this in front of any woman but there’s just something about Felicity, she elicits it from him.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, not that it’s anything to do with how attractive you are. I mean you _are_ attractive, I’d need to be blind to miss that but also, I just think that there’s something really genuine about you. That _and_ your very obvious abs and oh my goodness, I am going to stop talking in three, two, one…”

Oliver cannot help the smile that spreads across his face and pulls his features into a grin as Felicity begins to babble. Her eyes go wide behind her glasses as she realises what’s happening, looking at Oliver with an expression of adorable and endearing panic as she slowly brings herself to a stop. A bright blush paints its way over her cheeks, turning her entire face a shade of endearing pink, concentrated on her soft cheeks. Oliver blinks for a moment as he stares at her, completely overwhelmed by the reaction this woman has elicited within him. 

“You’re not what I was expecting, Miss Smoak,” He tells her honestly and Felicity frowns for a moment before a small smile spreads across her face.

“Well, right back at you, Queen,” She smirks, tilting her head in that same way and Oliver chuckles, feeling a small blush of his own spread across his face.

“So…” He prompts, raising a hopeful eyebrow and Felicity laughs at that. She moves back to the work station, picking up the piece of tech she was working on when he entered.

“I finish at 5, I’m hungry after generally,” She comments casually as she goes back to what she was doing and Oliver grins, a shot of elation shooting through him.

“I know the perfect spot, meet me in the atrium,” He tells her as he practically skips towards the door and he hears Felicity’s chuckle at his clear light-heartedness in response to her agreement.

“Okay,” She chuckles as Oliver turns to look back at her. Her joy melts into something softer, something that almost resembles affection. It makes something deep within Oliver glow and his heart feels lighter than it has since he was a child. He doesn’t know what it is about this girl, but he’s grateful for her… more than he can even explain.

* * *

His hand is beating nervously against his leg as he stands in the atrium of QC.

He’s baffled by how nervous he feels. He’s met thousands of girls, romanced hundreds of them, and yet this one small blonde seems to have utterly captivated his entire being. It’s not until he spots her walking through the metal detectors and over to where he’s waiting by the door that he allows his shoulders to untense.

“You came,” He comments once she reaches him, a bright smile on her face and tote bag in the same bright pink as her shoes and lipstick slung over her shoulder.

“Think I’d sneak out the back?” Felicity questions with a smirk and Oliver smiles a little sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders as he slides his hands into his pockets.

“Maybe just a little,” He counters blushingly and Felicity tilts her head once more, regarding him with that same deciphering expression from earlier.

“I’m a woman of my word, Queen,” She shrugs instead of pushing, smiling a little as Oliver calms. “And I believe my words told you I’d be hungry.”

“They did, which is why we’re going to get food, c’mon,” Oliver smirks, gesturing for her to follow as he walks out of the main building and down to the street where he left his car. He thought long and hard about which one to bring, knowing that Felicity isn’t going to be impressed by anything too lavish and flashy. She’s not going to be won over by fast cars and motorbikes, he knows that, and that’s not what he wants anyway. He wants her to get to know who he is beneath the billionaire.

For that reason, he picked the Bentley Continental GT, the color black and sleek like nearly all of the cars he’s picked since he passed his test. Felicity’s eyes still widen at the sight of it as they approach, turning to look at Oliver in amazement and slight fear.

“ _This_ is your car?” She questions in disbelief and Oliver notices how she glances down at her own body, as if a little afraid that she doesn’t fit in. Oliver shakes his head, knowing that she fits better than anyone else ever has and is quick to bat her off.

“Perks of the trust fund, I’m afraid, no alternatives though so it’s either that or we walk up the coast,” He quips to cover up his own embarrassment. He knows that the car is a lavish display of his family’s wealth but he truly doesn’t have an alternative and the idea of bringing a driver seemed out of the question as well.

“The coast?” Felicity perks up at that, her eyes widening in excitement and Oliver smiles, moving to open the passenger door for her.

“You’ll see if you get in,” He tells her gently, taking her free hand to help her settle into the leather before he shuts the door and rounds the car, checking for traffic before he climbs into the driver’s seat.

“I don’t think my skin has ever touched something so expensive before,” Felicity comments as she tugs the seatbelt over her body, clicking it into place. Oliver smirks, a small chuckle passing his lips and Felicity jumps at the noise, her eyes widening in panic as she turns to look at him. “Oh lord, I’m embarrassing myself, aren’t I?”

“Not at all, it’s refreshing to see someone who doesn’t take all of this for granted,” Oliver tells her honestly, smiling genuinely over at her as Felicity’s eyes widen, looking around the interior of the car with an almost childlike wonder in her expression.

“I could never, this is all… wow,” Felicity shakes her head, her voice laced with amazement, before she looks back to Oliver with a sheepish smile.

“Aux cord’s all yours, Smoak,” Oliver tells her warmly, reaching for the cord stretching out of the complex system. He knows that there’s a Bluetooth connection but he’s lazy and plugging his phone in has always seemed like the simpler option.

“You’re awarding me with that big of an honor off that bat?” Felicity’s eyebrows rise in surprise as she takes the thin cord from his hands with one hand as she pulls her phone from her tote with the other.

“I’ve long since thought one of the best ways to get to know someone is through their music taste,” Oliver shrugs truthfully, slipping the keys into the ignition and starting the car.

“You’re an intriguing one, Queen,” Felicity comments with a small smile as she plugs her phone into the car, pulling up her music app. A soft, low-fi tune fills the car and Oliver smiles at the sound. He doesn’t know the song or the artist but it’s a soothing sound and it fits Felicity.

“Not just all flashy cars and flirting,” Oliver smirks as he pulls away from the curb, heading down the busy main road of Starling’s business district.

“But that’s a big part… right?” Felicity counters with a matching smirk and a raised eyebrow and Oliver laughs, shaking his head.

“Maybe,” He comments lightly with a wiggle of his eyebrows, his heart glowing as he elicits a peal of laughter from Felicity.

The drive doesn’t take them very long and it’s one that Oliver’s done a million times, it’s second nature by now. That allows him to concentrate on Felicity. He stares at the way she sits up in her seat as they hit the coastline, rolling down the window and smiling as the sea air whips through her blonde locks. She laughs and the car is filled with a sound almost as melodious as the music playing from her phone. It sinks deep into Oliver’s chest, filling him with a lightness he’s never known.

They make it halfway up the sea cliff before Oliver turns off the road, parking his car in the small, dusty parking lot next to a beat-up looking SUV and a camper van. He knows his car looks a little out of place, it’s why he usually brings the bike up here, but with Felicity’s dress, he figured she’d probably appreciate the car more. He smiles excitedly over at her, grinning a wide, cheeky grin before he rushes out of his seat to open her door for her.

“A diner? We drove all the way out here for a diner?” Felicity questions slightly dubiously as she climbs out the car, looking around at the rundown exterior of the place. Oliver will admit it’s not much to look at but it is Starling’s hidden gem in his opinion and he really wants to share that with Felicity.

“Oh, this is not just any diner. This place serves the best grilled cheese in all of the United States,” Oliver reassures her with a smirk, locking the car before gripping her hand which is still in his, tugging her towards the door.

“That is a bold statement, Queen,” Felicity smirks with a raised eyebrow and Oliver turns to look back at her with a shrug.

“Don’t I know it, but I believe in its power,” He states confidently and Felicity laughs as he pushes the door open, the small bell over the door sounding around the large open seating area.

“We’ll just have to put it to the test,” Felicity giggles and almost skips in front of him, tugging him over to a booth along the back wall of the diner.

The large room isn’t very full. There’s a family a few booths down with the mother trying to coerce the son into eating his eggs whilst the father tries to stop the daughter from throwing hers at him. An elderly couple sit near the register, sipping on iced tea and smiling softly at one another. There are a few bikers in leathers sat at the high chairs by the door, munching on fries as they discuss their next route. Felicity and Oliver slip into the booth and become just another part of the clientele. It’s what Oliver loves about this place; he just blends in.

They order from the waitress when she comes over, both of them taking grilled cheeses and fries. Oliver orders his usual iced tea whereas Felicity opts for a chocolate milkshake. She groans immediately at the first bite and Oliver smiles at her clear enjoyment of the food.

“So tell me, what brings you to Starling City? Why’d you want to intern at my dad’s company?” He finds himself questioning as he begins to munch on his fries. Felicity looks a little surprised at his question for a moment before she smiles a little, a determined look setting in her eyes.

“A QC internship means you’re set in the tech world. I’ve worked my butt off to get here and this was always part of the plan. MIT, intern at QC, and then funding to start my own start-up,” She explains with a nod as if it’s the simplest thing in the world and not the incredibly impressive feat that it is.

“You’re a hustler,” Oliver comments with an impressed low whistle and Felicity laughs, shrugging her shoulders.

“Got to make your own luck in the world, that’s my motto. Where I’m from, you don’t get anything if you don’t work hard,” She counters determinedly and Oliver shakes his head impressed, staring at her with a wonder in his eyes.

“And where is that? Where are you from?” He asks, finding himself just wanting to know everything about this woman.

“Vegas,” She comments with a small smile and Oliver’s eyebrows fly up. He doesn’t know what he was expecting her to say, but that certainly wasn’t it.

“Oh, party city girl,” He smirks with a teasing wiggle of his eyebrows and Felicity snorts, laughing a little. It makes Oliver smile to see how carefree she is, no inhibitions. She is who she presents to the world and that’s so refreshing to Oliver.

“I hate to break it to you, but I’m probably the least Vegas thing Vegas has ever created,” Felicity blushes, shaking her head as she stares bashfully down at the table. Oliver smiles, waiting until she lifts her gaze to him before he speaks softly.

“You seem pretty wonderful to me,” He tells her plainly and Felicity flushes a deep red color, smiling prettily up at him from beneath her lashes. Their gazes hold for a moment, blue eyes meeting blue and Oliver feels a jolt through him, like the best electric shock he’s ever experienced.

“So, what about you?” Felicity asks after a moment, clearing her throat and shifting in her seat a little before she smiles over at him.

“Don’t you already know my story?” Oliver questions with a raised eyebrow, knowing that Felicity at least knows what most people care to learn about him. He’s rich, known for being a playboy, and is just a general screw up. The media has no issue with printing almost every sordid detail about his life they can get their hands on and it’s lead to Oliver gaining quite the reputation. He has to admit following that he has adopted a slight ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ attitude in regards to it all… but Felicity’s the first person he’s met who makes him want to even consider changing that.

“I know what the tabloids say but I’m not one to believe everything you read. I’d like to hear it from you,” Felicity merely shrugs, maintaining that pretty smile on her face and Oliver frowns before he shakes his head. He blinks for a moment, completely taken aback by this girl, before he realizes that she’s expecting him to talk and he clears his throat.

“There’s not that much to tell really. I’ve lived in Starling all my life, was given everything I ever wanted. Flunked out of four colleges and am still lined up to take over at QC. Sorry, you probably hate kids like me,” He rambles off, blushing a little as he looks over at Felicity. He expects to see disappointment and judgment in her eyes but instead, they’re filled with understanding and bright with her smile.

“It takes a lot to make me hate someone and I always have this thing, it’s like a power. I can tell when people are good, and you, Oliver Queen, are good. You’ve just lost your way,” Felicity states simply as if she’s staring straight through to his soul and Oliver blinks for a long moment, yet again completely astounded by this small woman before him. No one has ever simply believed in him the way that she does. She makes it seem so plain and simple, as if there are no other facets to it.

“You… you’re the first person who’s ever looked at me like that,” Oliver comments slowly, their eyes locking once more as a pretty smile spreads across Felicity’s face.

Oliver’s still unsure as to what this all means and why he’s so drawn to this woman, but he knows now that he doesn’t want to question it… he just wants to live it.

* * *

He and Felicity fall into a routine after that.

He picks her up from the office each day and they spend the rest of the afternoon and evening together. It starts with Oliver showing her all of his favorite spots in the city but soon enough, they find themselves simply hanging out in Felicity’s hotel room or Oliver’s apartment. It’s so easy to be around her, it feels so natural, and Oliver is so grateful for the free feeling her mere presence elicits in him.

He learns everything there is to know about her, soaking up each piece of information as if it were the most precious jewel and storing it in a safe place for keeping. He tells her things he’s never admitted to anyone and soon enough, she becomes the person who knows him best in the world. It’s easy and it’s simple and Oliver knows that he’s completely head over heels for this woman.

Those feelings come to a head a month into their friendship. They’re sat on the large couch in Felicity’s QC provided hotel room. A bad movie is playing in the background but neither of them are really paying attention to it. Felicity is talking and Oliver is completely mesmerized by her, watching the way the evening light dances in her golden hair and each simple movement of her hands which she uses to express herself.

“I just think that kangaroos are ridiculously overrated. Like, what’s the thing with the pouch? That’s creepy. And they _jump_ everywhere, you mean to tell me that’s there not something shady about something that leaps… OH!”

Oliver cannot help himself in that moment. He leans forward, his hand sliding over her cheek and tugging her forward into a soft and gentle kiss. The sea that has been raging within him settles to a gentle wave the minute her lips brush his and Oliver sighs into the contact, allowing the warmth and care that she elicits to spread through him like a tender hug. Felicity lets out a small groan, her hand coming up to cup his elbow, and Oliver’s eyes fly wide open at the contact, suddenly realizing what it is he’s done. 

“Felicity, I… I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” He stumbles embarrassedly as he pulls away from her and puts some distance between them. Felicity stares at him for a moment, her hand slowly rising to gently touch her lips.

“You… you kissed me,” She states plainly, looking up at him as if in shock and a painful feeling twists in Oliver’s gut, feeling awful that he may have hurt her.

“I did, I’m so sorry. I know you don’t feel that way about me,” He shakes his head, sliding back even further on the couch. He freezes when Felicity reaches out, her hand grasping around his wrist, and he looks back at her to see her smiling reassuringly at him with a derisive shake of her head.

“Oliver… I didn’t feel that way about _Ollie Queen,_ renowned party boy, and player. I feel very differently about Oliver Queen,” She clarifies with a warm smile, and Oliver freezes. He hasn’t allowed himself to hope or even wish that Felicity could ever possibly feel the same way as he does, but here she is, saying that maybe… maybe… she feels even a fraction for him what he feels for her.

Oliver cannot describe the elation that courses through his body at that thought.

“You… you do?” He questions gently to confirm and Felicity giggles a little, sliding along the couch so that she’s sat next to him.

“I do, in fact, so long as you’re Oliver Queen and not Ollie, I would very much like to do that again,” She comments lowly, keeping her eyes locked on his as she gently rises to her knees and swings one over his legs until she’s straddling him. Oliver’s eyes blow wide at that, his hands falling to her hips slowly and disbelievingly.

“Well, Oliver Queen would very much be up for that,” He comments with a small smirk and Felicity grins before she slowly leans in to capture their lips in the most sensational kiss Oliver has ever experienced.

* * *

Things only get better from there on out. The next month and a half is the most glorious Oliver has ever experienced. He dedicates a little more time to work and spends all his evenings and weekends with Felicity. He’s addicted to her, he can’t get enough. All he wants is to be in her presence all the time and experience that light and pure hope she brings into his life. She’s amazing and he’s so grateful that she’s giving him the opportunity to let him love her.

“I think I’m falling in love with you,” He finds himself spilling out on a Saturday afternoon. They’re half under the sheets in his apartment, the sun beating in through the windows and highlighting Felicity in the pure light. She looks like an angel like this, the sun reflecting off her blonde hair and pale skin. She looks like everything Oliver never knew he always wanted but good lord, he’s going to fight every day for her from here on out if he has to.

Her eyes widen at the words, their sleepy lazing turning into something more serious in that moment, but her features still settle into a smile as she reaches out to entwine their hands. “I… I think I love you too.”

“I’ve never felt like this before,” Oliver comments amazedly, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand and Felicity sighs contently, snuggling closer to him and making Oliver grin.

“Me neither,” She whispers into the skin of his chest, and Oliver sighs, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

“I knew you were different from the moment I saw you,” He murmurs into her locks, knowing he’d be content to stay right here in this moment for the rest of his life.

* * *

It takes Oliver another two weeks to work up the courage to speak to his parents about what he’s been planning since the start of the summer. Ever since he met Felicity and started speaking to her about his responsibilities at the company, he’s become more aware of how lucky he is to have the opportunities he’s been given. He’s been speaking to Felicity about what he enjoyed about school and what he enjoys doing at the company and she’s helped him to see that he actually is rather suited to the role of CEO, he just needs to accept the parts of the job that he enjoys and stop seeing it as a burden or a responsibility.

“Hello, darling,” Moira comments with a bright smile when she spots him entering through the atrium to the large house. He drops by Queen Mansion relatively frequently but for him to be here on a Sunday afternoon is rare, especially since Felicity came into his life.

“Hi Mom, where’s Dad? I wanted to talk to you both,” He tells her with a small nervous smile and Moira frowns for a moment before she shakes her head, that parental smile warming her features.

“Oh of course! Go through to the sitting room, I’ll bring your father in,” She tells him gently and Oliver nods, taking a deep breath as he looks through the archway to the sitting room.

“Thanks, Mom,” He smiles before he follows her instructions, choosing to sit on the long couch facing the two armchairs with a soft sigh. It’s a few minutes of his knee bouncing nervously before his mother returns with his father in tow.

“Oliver, your mother says you have something you want to discuss,” Robert comments with a small frown as he and Moira settle into the armchairs facing the couch. They reach out to hold each other’s hands and they present such a united front that Oliver’s stomach twists nervously.

“Yes, I’d like to transfer and spend the year training in the New York offices,” He tells them simply as he takes a deep breath, looking at them apprehensively as their faces both shift into confused frowns.

“New York? You’ve never expressed an interest in New York before,” Moira comments slowly after sharing a long look with her husband.

“You’ve never expressed an interest in training before,” Robert adds with an inquisitive raised eyebrow and Oliver bites his lip for a moment, the fear sinking through him again but he takes a deep breath, straightening his shoulders.

“I know that it’s upcoming and that I need to accept it. I want to be ready,” He tells them honestly. His words gain him an impressed tilt of the head from his mother but his father is staring at him discerningly, clearly not accepting his reasoning.

“This is about that girl… isn’t it? She’s at MIT,” Robert states with a sigh, shaking his head with a reprimanding tone and Oliver frowns, not having realized that his father even _knew_ about he and Felicity. 

“You know about Felicity and I?” He questions with a frown but that merely gains him a scoff and a shake of his head from his father.

“I make it a point to know what’s happening in my company, Oliver, especially when it concerns my son,” Robert states clearly with an unimpressed look on his face and Oliver’s frow burrows as the anger within him grows.

“And so, what if it is? Felicity’s made me realize how important working hard is and how could it ever be a bad thing if she’s made me better?” He defends, looking between his parents with a confused frown. He truly doesn’t understand how anything about his relationship with Felicity could be viewed as a bad thing, she’s made him better in so many ways.

Unless…

Unless this is about money.

“Oliver! You cannot throw your life away for this... this...” Robert starts, clearly stumbling around for the right word as the middle-aged man grows more irate towards his son but Oliver himself sees red at the insinuation that Felicity is anything other than a beautiful, wickedly smart, incredible woman.

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” He snaps right back, his tone far harsher than he’s ever spoken towards his father.

“Oliver, honey, please... this isn’t you,” Moira begs, looking at her son with wide eyes that plead with him to do the right thing and continue to be the perfect little puppet they want him to be.

Oliver can’t do that… he won’t.

“This is the most me I’ve felt in... no, it’s the most me I’ve felt ever,” He tells them truthfully, shaking his head as he looks at the way his parents share a panicked look.

“We can fix this, we can change things,” Moira pleads of him, the look on her face one of pure longing but Oliver shakes his head.

“No, I have never felt free in this life. There’s always something I’ve had to do, some responsibility I have to uphold. I want to run QC, but I don’t want to become Dad. The only time I’ve ever felt alive is when I’m with Felicity and I will not give that up because of your sadistic elitist views,” He spits out at his father, shaking his head with a scoff. He’s never felt more ashamed of their views than he does in this moment.

“Oliver…” His mother sighs but Oliver shakes his head.

“No, it’s not fair! I want to be with Felicity and I want to do what you’ve been asking of me for years. I can’t believe you’d turn your back on that just because you don’t like the fact that my girlfriend isn’t as rich as you.”

His voice grows more and more irate as he speaks, so frustrated at his parents and their stupid ideas of who it is acceptable for him to date. He can’t believe they’ve allowed him to continue on the way he has, sleeping with almost every woman he meets, but it’s _Felicity_ they have the issue with.

“It will be hard for her too, she won’t be accepted by our society,” Robert states with a discerning look but Oliver just scoffs with a roll of his eyes.

“And that’s just it. You don’t realize that she doesn’t care, that I don’t care, that neither of us _cares._ All we want is to be together, that’s it,” Oliver tells them simply, watching the way they simply stare at him as if he’s grown two heads. He gives them both a minute to say something… anything… but they just stare at him gormless. In that moment, he decides that this is what he’s doing with their permission or without it.

And to take the first step in that journey, he stands and walks out of the mansion.

* * *

Six months later, Oliver finds himself watching the sun rise over the New York City skyline as he scoffs at the headline on the paper he’s holding.

It took a while, but his parents finally realized that he was very serious about New York. They’re still not Felicity’s biggest fans but they’ve accepted that this is what Oliver wants and have helped him with the QC side of things.

Which is fine by Oliver… he’s got the Felicity side of things down pat on his own, thank you very much.

“What’s that you’ve got there?” A soft voice whispers and Oliver smirks as he turns to see Felicity leaning gently against the kitchen island. She’s dressed in his white button-down from the night before and only his white button-down, the fabric brushing against her gorgeous thighs as she smoothly shifts her weight.

“Newspaper, we’re front-page news, babe,” He smirks at her, holding the paper up as she moves over to him. He loops an arm around her waist to tug her onto his lap, allowing her to take a sip from his mug even though he knows she’ll make a face at the lack of sugar and creamer.

“My goodness,” She comments as she looks down at the paper, her eyebrows raising at the sight of the headline and the image of them exiting the restaurant they ate at last night emblazoned across the front page. 

**_There Goes The Last Great American Dynasty_** the headline reads, the caption to the photo just as insulting to Felicity. It makes Oliver feel sick but they’ve dealt with it by joking around so Oliver does just that.

“My little golddigger,” He smirks, tugging Felicity closer by her waist and Felicity snorts, shoving him away with a hand to his shoulder.

“Oh fuck off, Queen, you know if anyone’s dug for anything in this relationship, it’s been you,” Felicity laughs with a grin and Oliver laughs too, feeling that familiar light course through him.

“Don’t I know it,” He smirks, placing his coffee down before he flips Felicity in his lap, bringing her up to straddle him before he smirks once more and connects their lips.

He knows he’d go through anything to be right here with you, to experience the kind of love she gives him. It’s beautiful and all-consuming and it’s everything to him.

It’s well worth everything it’s cost.


End file.
